447. CODE NAME MADELINE: A sufi Spy in Nazi Occupied Paris by Arthur J. Magida (9/29/23) Non-Fiction
Noor Inayat Khan, daughter of an Indian Sufi was raised in a subarb of Paris in the 1920’s and became a musician and a writer. When the Nazi’s occupied France Noor joined the British Special Operations Executive and trained in espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. She returned to Paris with an assumed identity and for months was the only wireless operator sending critical information to London aiding the success of the Allied landing on D-Day and became a high-valued target. When she was eventually captured she attempted two daring escapes, was sent to Dachau and sadly was killed just a few months before the end of the war.
This is a compelling story that has been deeply researched and this is a great tribute to Noor, a courageous and unlikely heroine.
4 Stars
451. THE FALL: THE END OF FOX NEWS AND THE MURDOCH DYNASTY by Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff loves a good story and after serendipitously writing “Fire and Fury” about the Trump White House and Fox News, which brought him fame, we see his book fifteen years prior, “The Man Who Owns the News”, also about Rupert Murdoch and Fox, had been his foundation. We find Murdoch, now an ailing businessman, is being pressured by current wife, Jerry Hall, and most of his children to reform Fox News, his cash cow, for being responsible for tearing apart American politics and destroying our faith in institutions.
He was indecisive about reforming Fox News, even though he described Trump as a “fucking idiot”. Fox was a giant piggy bank and he never had enough money to want a change. But when Dominion Voting Systems filed suit for defamation, Fox ended up paying $787.5 million to settle the case. Murdoch took the axe and Tucker Carlson and others left. But Murdoch blamed Trump for hijacking his brand.
This book validates the theory that people will do anything for money and this billionaire is not exception. Interesting read but Fox is still alive and well and dishing their dirt.
4 Stars
454. THE 1619 PROJECT by Nickola Hannah-Jones (10/13/23) Non-Fiction
The 1619 Project is a series of essays, poems, and short fiction about the lasting legacy of slavery in the United States. Named after the year the first slave ship landed near Point Comfort in the English Colony of Virginia, where their cargo of slaves and goods were sold to the highest bidder. These stories try to explain how a country founded on ideals of ‘Freedom’, accepted the legacy of slavery.
When Hannah-Jones learned the origins of slavery in the U.S. it was nearing the 400 year anniversary of the slave ship, White Lion, and she pitched her idea to the New York Times to publish these essays to show the impact African slavery had on the development of the United States. Published in 2021, the book became controversial and Congress posed legislation to prevent the 1619 Project from being taught in schools and universities. President Trump spoke out about the project and instead established the “1776 Commission” as one of his last acts as President. This is a history of slavery in all it’s bold reality and should be read by all and should not be erased.
5 Stars
458. THE SISTERHOOD: The Secret History of Women of the CIA (10/26/23) Non-Fiction
After WWII, when the U.S. realized it needed the kind of intelligence it had needed during the war starting with the OSS, then the CIA. It was mostly men and soon became an old boys club. Women trying to use the skills that women were successful at during the war were not taken seriously by the men in charge. They were suppressed to clerical positions. This book shows the pathways the women fought to become operatives. During the Cold War women were able to move from place to place unnoticed and as unlikely spies they were perfect for the role. Many rose to become some of the most shrewd operatives and eventually they transformed spy craft.
At headquarters women built the CIA’s archives by hand and then by computer. They found that women had the ability to see things differently than men, things men didn’t notice. A close knit group of women spotted the rising threat of al-Qaeda, and tracked down Osama bin Laden.
Mundy’s book reads like an historical novel and like her book, “Code Girls”, has maticulous detail and vivid imagery making this a fun and interesting read.
4 Stars
464. ENOUGH by Cassidy Hutchinson (12/6/23) Non-Fiction
“Enough” is a memoir by Cassidy Hutchinson who was an assistant to Mark Meadows, the White House Chief of Staff during the Trump presidency. She was a 24-year-old novice aide who became famous after testifying before the January 6 Committee on what happened in the White House on the day of the attack and insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.
Starting as an idealistic young woman wanting to serve her country, and raised in a working-class military family, the first to graduate from college, she risked everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington. Loyalty to her country won out.
“Enough” tells the spellbinding story of an unlikely heroine whose courage may change the course of history.
5 Stars
474. ENDGAME by Omid Scobie (1/2/24) Non Fiction
Scobie is a longtime British Royal journalist, and his newest book, “Endgame”, is another international blockbuster. Scobie is said to have had the guts to go further into details about the royals than other’s have feared to tread. In the original Dutch version of “Endgame” it was exposed that King Charles III and Kate, the Princess of Wales, were the ones identified to have had conversations about the skin tone of Harry and Meghan’s son Archie prior to his birth, which brought about allegations of racism, which began the Royal Family split-up–the “endgame” for Harry and family. However, these allegations were not in this printing or any other later version, and without it here was not too much new to this book. It is pretty hard to keep a secret about the Royal Family, as everything eventually comes out. Like today (4/22/24), we all learned that Princess Kate did have cancer after having abdominal surgery more than a month ago. We all wish her well.
3 Stars
483. SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari ((1/24/24) Non-Fiction
Harari, a renowned historian, wrote this book and subtitled it: “A Brief History of Humankind”. It became a bestseller, not an easy feat for this type of study. It didn’t hurt when President Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg all gave it rave reviews. He delves into humanity’s creation and evolution exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced what it means to be human. He states that 100,000 years ago at least six species of humans inhabited the Earth. But today only the homo sapiens exist. The question is what happened to the rest.
70,000 years ago we can examine human cognition and move on to the role humans have played in the global ecosystem. Dr. Harari also looks to the future and how in the last few decades the laws of natural selection have begun to bend with the modern choices we make and where it may lead us.
This easy to read and understand book of ecological and historical interest ends with lots of questions about the future.
5 Stars
PREQUEL by Rachel Maddow (1/31/24) Non-Fiction
Rchael Maddow, the star political reporter of MSNBC, likes to equate what is happening today to times of the past. In this book she exposes a part of history, long forgotten by most, that saved our democracy before World War II, when a handful of public servants thwarted an attempt by a far-right group which was trying to steer our nation towards an alliance with the Nazis. The rise in this strain of authoritarianism had been present in our politics for almost a century before we entered WWII. Through disinformation they tried to persuade Americans that our allegiance should be with the Axis, not the Allies. They undermined institutions, promoted anti-Semitism, and tried to destroy confidence in elected leaders with the goal of overthrowing the U.S. government in favor of an authoritarian rule. They also had an ultra-right paramilitary movement complete with stockpiled weapons and bombs for a violent insurrection.
Luckily activists and journalists were tracking the scheme and in 1941 the U.S. Department of Justice identified the key players and their backers and started prosecuting dozens in federal courts.
This book is scarily close to what is happening today–only that today it is out in the open, pressing forward and being lead by their leader, an ex-president, legitimizing the movement. The most dangerous part is that exposing him works in his favor by his followers. I hope all of you will read this and become involved.
5 Stars
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